A day worth
reflecting on
Sometimes life goes
by so fast that we don’t learn the lessons of the day. We move from one think
to the next with hardly a breath and definitely no thought, of what is really
happening in our lives. At the Eucharist this morning as we remembered the Life
of St Athanasius, I was reminded of our need to stand up for what we believe in
and to fight for it. Often we don’t have the energy, or see the need, but God
called us to this ministry – of standing up for the truth, of recognising the
battles – chosen for us to proclaim the faith and preach the Gospel.
As I visited a
prospective Social Responsibility partner, where everything needed exists and
yet they are struggling to make it work; I was reminded that life is like that.
You may have all the ingredients in the kitchen, but you won’t get biscuits
just because the ingredients are present. Even a recipe doesn’t guarantee success,
as Jamie discovered, or as I discovered when I got home and saw her attempt at
chocolate biscuits. Her consistency was wrong... Isn’t that always the case? We put the right ingredients together but fail
to mix it right. Our human relationships
get in the way, the way we dilute the present with the past and or the future,
the way we expect things to be different, just because we want them to be, the
way we misinterpret the signs and get frustrated by our own efforts.
This evening I
attended a Growth and Development Strategy consultative forum for Ekurhuleni. An
attempt to include the “Stakeholders” in the planning from 2012 to 2055. Some
good work has been done, but we really need to rethink a few things.
One of the drivers was “what do you want
Ekurhuleni to look like 10. 15 and 20 years from now.” An interesting question; it made me wonder,
what makes a place somewhere you want to live. What drivers move you to live
here or there? Personally I am very
affected by the issue of education. I
want to live somewhere, where I know that my children have access to quality
education. Is there such a place in SA?
I want to live somewhere where to get where I am going is not a matter of
chance nor is it a matter of taking my life into my hands every time I leave the
house. So a good public transport system would effect my choice of where to
live. So who in SA can boast that?
I want a place where
I can live in freedom : where my kids can ride their bikes in the street, and
play in the park. I want to have access to a good hospital, when needed. I
haven’t mentioned the simple basics of water and electricity and refuse removal,
but since my garbage is still sitting on the pavement, maybe I should.
I don’t think that
this is asking too much? I don’t think that this is a dream, it is what we should
expect. But my question is how are we going to make Ekurhuleni or anywhere else
in SA fit this description?
It was pointed out
that land for expansion is fast running out, so our typical response of moving
somewhere else is not looking like a long term solution. A person in Thembisa
can’t just move to Bedford view to better their lives, (can Bedford boast that
it has all things necessary for the simple life anyway)?
We need to be making
home what we want it to be. And how do I suggest we do this?
Well firstly let’s make
up our minds that we have to make the world the place we want it to be, and not
expect someone else to do it for us. Let’s make our homes places of discipline and
sound learning. Let’s make our homes
places where viewpoints can be developed and discussed. Let’s make our homes
places of safety. Let’s make our homes healthy places, sound diets of stomach
and mind.
Let’s make our homes
places where God is loved, where our
neighbour is loved and respected, how about we even go as far as finding out
their name – wouldn’t that cause a stir.
If we want to address
the problems of the world we have to start at home. Then we will know what we
want and we will be able to articulate it and work towards it.
We have a
responsibility. I think we should rise to it.
I will be compiling a
submission to the Ekurhuleni Municipality for its GDS 2055 – If you have any
comment – please feel free to send it to agmanning1@gmail.com.
